Denis Asselin, of Cheyney, Pa., stopped at KidsPeace while on a 552-mile pilgrimage to raise awareness about Body Dysmorphic Disorder, a form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that robbed him of his son. His goal, with “Walking With Nathaniel” was to visit places where his son spent time before taking his own life. Nathaniel was at KidsPeace’s Children’s Hospital when he was 11 years old and first started battling BDD.

In a letter to KidsPeace, Asselin thanked those who met with him, saying their attentiveness gave him the confidence he needed to keep moving forward with sharing his son’s story.

Aselin was kind enough to share some of the statistics from his journey. He met with 145 professionals at hospitals and clinics and talked with more than 250 people while walking. He collected $24,782 for the International OCD Foundation, of which $9,000 has been earmarked for education and the remainder for research. Asselin and his family are already discussing with the Foundation the possibility of a walk in October 2013 that could involve other families from across the country who have been affected by OCD.